Slightly Mad Studios developing Mad Box console

Project Cars developer Slightly Mad Studios has revealed that it is developing a console called the Mad Box, with a view to a 2022 launch.

The developer’s CEO, Ian Bell, announced the news on Twitter, before adding further details. Bell described the Mad Box thus: “It’s the most powerful console ever built… It’s literally ‘Mad’… You want 4k, you want VR at 60FPS? You want a full engine for free to develop your games on it? You have it.”

In the Twitter thread, Bell added “We’re not playing around here. This is beyond next gen. For too long have subtle iterations been accepted. Time to raise the bar, substantially.” He also said that the Mad Box: “Would not be that expensive”, as Slightly Mad Studios would settle for lower margins than existing console manufacturers, and that it will support “most” current-gen VR headsets like the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.

Regarding devkits, Bell tweeted: “They will be a while guys. We want to ensure the kit you get matches the released box in terms of power and functionality. The engine will be released before though with a clear indication of what matches the intended final spec in terms of current PC power.”

The games industry is littered with failed attempts to take on the likes of Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony in the console market, but the thought of a British console contender would be pleasing. Whether reality will ever catch up with Slightly Mad Studios’ and Ian Bell’s impressive level of ambition remains to be seen. But you should be able to keep tabs on the Mad Box’s progress via Slightly Mad Studios’ website.

Steve Boxer has been writing about videogames since the early 1990s. His first console was an Atari VCS, and he misspent most of his youth in the 1980s in the arcades. As well as for Green Man Gaming, he can be found writing for The Guardian, Empire, TechRadar and Pocket-Lint. He’s currently having trouble deciding whether his favourite console is his Xbox One X or his Switch, and plays a wide range of games, but especially RPGs (he loves a good JRPG) action-adventure titles, shooters of all descriptions and driving games. Follow him here.